Episode 4 What to Buy and Why

Hello, and welcome to London's glittering West End,

for the programme that asks the top professionals

what you should be spending your money on.

I'm Cherry Healey, and in this series,

I will be visiting iconic locations across Britain

to ask the country's best experts to show you how to shop like a pro.

From e-readers to food processors and travel luggage,

our specialists will push the most popular products to their limits,

to help you choose what to buy and why.

Tonight, we are going behind the scenes

of London's biggest theatre, the Coliseum,

to see whether it is worth shelling out

on the next big thing in ironing...

Ooh.

'..steam generators.'

So, the fiddly bit. Oh!

LAUGHTER

We'll be drilling down to find the best-value DIY gadgets

and see if the make-up team can slash the amount

we spend on hair products.

We are being bamboozled by the beauty industry.

Here's what else is coming up.

Our reporter Naga Munchetty investigates

whether the expensive trainers can really take you the extra mile.

The more scientifically advanced the shoe, the more you tend to pay.

And we have more invaluable tricks of the trade.

If your shoes have developed an annoying squeak,

talcum powder eliminates the squeak.

So if you want the inside track on the latest products

from the people really in the know, then look no further.

This is What To Buy And Why.

Built in 1904 as a luxurious variety theatre,

the London Coliseum is now home

to one of the world's grandest companies -

the English National Opera.

With innovative staging and exceptional music,

they wow audiences with over 150 performances every year.

OPERATIC SINGING

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

But I'm not here to see the stage show.

I have been granted privileged access to dozens

of highly skilled individuals who work flat-out

to bring these incredibly complex productions to life.

That is no mean feat.

During the season,

the company has three shows that alternate on a daily basis.

Facilitating such rapid turnaround requires 11 individual departments

and more than 300 expert members of staff.

We are going to use that expertise to help you make the right decisions

about stuff you want to buy.

Now, imagine the largest pile of ironing

you have ever let build up and then double it,

and then triple it,

and you wouldn't even come close

to the amount that needs to be done here

after each and every performance.

Laundering every costume between shows is one of many jobs

overseen by Karen Hopkinson and her wardrobe team.

So they are the ideal people to decide

if the latest steam iron technology is worth the money.

Can I enlist you and your team to help me test out

three steam generators?

It's more ironing, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, but bear with me. Are you up for it?

-Yeah, we will give it a shot.

-Yes.

Unlike conventional irons,

steam generators are connected to a large, separate water tank.

The biggest difference is the amount of steam that we can get out of it.

Why do you need so much steam?

If you have more steam,

you definitely get the creases out much, much quicker.

But they don't come cheap.

They can cost as much as £250,

compared to an average of £45 for a conventional iron.

But are they really worth that extra cash?

Right, ladies.

None of you have any experience using this type of iron, no?

-No.

-I want you to have a go at ironing this shirt,

and let me know how you get on.

Karen, you are up first.

She's testing our cheapest model - Polti Vaporella Forever,

average high-street price, £100.

So the fiddly bit. Oh!

LAUGHTER

I mean, you are motoring through that.

I think it's a good iron, to be honest.

The amount of steam is really good. It is ironing quickly.

-You're finished?!

-Yeah.

-That was so fast!

-Let me see how well you have done.

-Uh-oh.

"Uh-oh." That's pretty good.

Impressive start, but can you get an even better performance

with a machine that costs more?

Oh, she's fast. Karen, I think she might be a bit faster than you.

-It depends what the quality is like afterwards.

-Ooh!

Jenna is testing the Tefal Effectis,

which costs up to £120.

You can steam vertically, so if you have got a dress hanging up,

you can steam it.

That's great. Does yours have that function?

Yes.

Yep.

Also auto turn off.

Handy, yeah, if you forget to switch it off once you are finished.

Are you finding that it irons well?

Yeah, it produces a good amount of steam.

It is definitely pressing well.

Finally, how will Laura find our most expensive machine,

Philips PerfectCare Steam Generator, costing £200?

Yeah, it feels nice.

It's light, but I think that is just a general standard.

If you know that you just do one quick swipe

and all your creases are out, that's a nice job.

So one of the things this iron claims is that it is so sensitive,

it can tell what material you are ironing.

There is no dial on there to change what fabric

and therefore what temperature.

You will never get it wrong,

you will never melt your fabrics or burn them or anything.

-Shall we try?

-(Yes, let's try.)

Let's have a look.

-No, nothing.

-Nothing.

That is pretty clever.

Before they decide which you should buy,

they have another pass...

There is a nice weight, I think. Do you want a go?

..ironing trickier silk gowns...

Oh, yeah, it glides much easier than the other one.

It doesn't drag.

..and getting hands-on with all three machines.

I prefer this one to the other one. Do you want a shot?

It was good on cotton, but I don't like it as much on the silk.

Oh, yeah, loads more steam.

Time for their verdict.

After a hard day's ironing,

which one of these do you think gives you the best value for money?

Is it our cheapest iron, the Polti?

The mid-priced Tefal?

Or our most expensive, the Philips?

So, Karen, which of these did you like?

The middle one, the Tefal.

If you're going to spend that amount of money on a steam iron,

that one irons better, the steam is better.

I personally think the cheaper, because I don't think you're

getting many more benefits from paying more money

with the higher priced.

The most expensive, the Philips, what did you think?

I mean, it was good, it produced a lot more steam.

Definitely not worth that enormous leap in money.

So it is neck-and-neck between the Tefal and the Polti.

Deciding vote goes to Laura.

Initially, I would have said the Tefal,

but I'm going to go for the first one,

because I think that is more value for money.

It is not too dissimilar to the middle one.

So if you are really counting your pennies,

this steam generator is pretty great.

Yeah, it is lovely, it is going to be great.

So the Polti is our winner, but £100 is still a lot of money,

given the average spend on a conventional iron is about £45.

The big question, though, is you all have standard irons at home.

Having had a go with steam generators, would you swap?

I wouldn't, for the amount of ironing that I do.

-No, it wouldn't be worth it.

-Ditto.

-Really?

Not for the amount of ironing.

If you have a mountain of ironing and lots of people in your family,

then it would definitely be worth having one.

But for one person on their own doing five shirts a week,

it is pointless.

Would you save it and take your shirts to the laundry?

I would stop buying shirts.

LAUGHTER

In response, Tefal said that its range of steam generators

offer a product to match every customer's needs and budget.

Philips said the higher price is due to advanced technology

and special features such as a locking mechanism,

and it points out its machines have a higher steam output

and bar pressure than the others.

This show is all about giving you top tips from best in the business.

So here is another collection of ingenious tricks of the trade.

I'm David. I have been in the fresh produce industry for 30 years.

There are plenty of uses for leftover fruit and veg waste.

Take some orange peel,

pop it in a spray bottle with some water for a couple of weeks.

It is a cheap and effective aphid killer.

I'm Andreas. I was voted Greengrocer Of The Year 2015.

Fridges, you may be surprised to hear, dry out your fruit and veg.

As you can see,

we have a very fancy machine for keeping our vegetables hydrated.

Not everyone has got room for one of these in the kitchen.

What I can recommend is putting your veg in a fruit bowl

and using one of these.

If you like your G&T with ice and slice,

then why not just ice your slice?

Just slice up some lemon and lime, you could add some grapes.

Pop them in the freezer, have them whenever you want them,

just make your drink that little bit more fancy.

Still to come, we will be

with the English National Opera's props makers to find out

if there is any point in buying DIY tools on the cheap.

But first, Naga Munchetty investigates

if runners really need to invest in pricey trainers.

Before I ran the London Marathon in 2013, I wanted advice on injuries.

I went to a specialist running shop.

I did end up buying shoes, and they weren't cheap.

There are around 3.5 million regular runners in the UK,

so the trainer industry is booming.

It is no wonder running shoes can cost a pretty penny.

-£100 for mine.

-£80 or £90.

-100.

-£80.

-80.

-£100, easy.

Here at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10k, I want to understand

why runners are so willing to fork out for expensive footwear.

The priority for me is to get a shoe that supports my foot

while I am running.

I actually had shin splints because I was running with the wrong shoes.

They made me run on a treadmill and then decided which side

I should have more cushioning.

I have been through a specialist running shop

and just trusted the experts.

I just gave them lots of money.

Almost all the runners we interviewed said the same -

you buy the shoes you are told are best suited to your running style,

because you believe they'll make you less likely to get injured.

And the more scientifically advanced the shoe, the more you tend to pay.

Why do we think trainers help protect us?

Well, just look at the language used in the marketing.

We're promised impact control, lightweight cushioning,

responsive shock absorption.

It is all very convincing, and it is a message we have been

listening to for decades, so it is no wonder we believe it.

This advert is from more than 30 years ago.

At Nike, we are putting that knowledge to work,

making shoes that actually help athletes to run faster and safer.

But is there any actual evidence to support this?

We tried to find some, but no matter where we looked -

manufacturers' publications, academic papers, medical reports -

we couldn't find any proof at all that training shoes

reduce the likelihood of injury.

What is going on?

I've come to Nottingham to speak

to one of Britain's top physiotherapists, Roger Kerry.

Roger has been working with athletes

and studying their injuries for more than 20 years.

So, Roger, why are we struggling to find scientific evidence

that shows certain sports shoes can prevent injury?

Quite simply because there is none.

If you look at injury surveillance studies,

where they follow up people over a long time to see

if they get injured or not,

and then work out what it is about them that made them injured,

there is good evidence to suggest

that those technological innovations

don't make any difference to prevent injury.

So it turns out,

in the four decades of technological development

since the modern trainer was invented,

that the number of running-related injuries has...

stayed the same.

I'm actually really annoyed by this.

Why are we spending so much money on advanced trainers

when there is actually no evidence

that they are preventing us from getting injured?

So are runners being misled?

Surely the sports manufacturers themselves

have evidence of the good their trainers do.

We contacted Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok, Asics and Mizuno.

We asked them to provide us

with evidence that their shoe technology helps to reduce injuries.

Not one of them would.

Some assured us it does exist,

but no-one was willing to share it with us.

So now that we know there is nothing out there

to prove expensive trainers offer more protection,

is there any reason not to just buy the cheapest pair you can find?

There are things about the shoe, a running shoe,

that does improve your performance and reduce the rate of injury.

They are the really simply obvious things, like is it comfortable?

Does it rub on the heel?

Does it leave enough room in the front of the shoe

for your foot to expand?

So the comfort of the shoe is what is really important.

So, tell me, Roger, what shoes do you run with?

I've got some really comfortable shoes that

I found on the high street.

They cost 19.99. They are perfectly adequate for me.

Of course, if you want to spend a lot of money on trainers

because you like the brand for the way they look, fine.

Just don't expect them to stop you getting injured.

Since we made that report, Nike have told us that their products

are designed using industry-leading research, materials and processes.

Asics told us that footwear is just one factor in preventing injury.

Comfort and fit are key,

and your shoe should be matched to your individual running profile.

Adidas says that while safety is vitally important,

its main focus is on improving performance.

It says it has products to benefit runners of all budgets and levels.

Here in London's West End, we are backstage at the London Coliseum

visiting departments to get more money-saving advice.

And I have got an appointment with one of the very busiest -

a place where, ironically,

there is absolutely no time to let their hair down.

In the UK, we spent more than £1.7 billion a year

on hair products.

And, shockingly, the average British women

will spend £40,000 on hair care in her lifetime.

Wow!

But are we wasting our money?

-Vanessa?

-Hi.

-I'm Cherry, nice to meet you.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

Vanessa Davis is the opera's wig and make-up manager.

The beauty about our department

is that we make all of our wigs in-house,

so that is why it is such a special place.

Each year, her team makes around 550 wigs for the performers,

all by hand.

What do you make the wigs out of?

-It looks real.

-This is human hair.

We buy our hair from a hair merchant.

So if you're using real hair,

are you using the same kind of products that I would on mine?

Essentially it is the same thing.

I notice you haven't got a lot of products,

-unlike me, who has a huge range.

-That's right.

Once we know what works, we just use it again and again.

I have brought all of my products along so that Vanessa can

tell me if there is anything I am wasting my money on.

My favourite two-in-one shampoo and conditioner.

'Because when it comes to my hair...'

Texture spray.

'..I'm a sucker for products.'

The list goes on.

Do I have too many hair products?

That is probably more than we have in the whole department.

Can you show me how to save money?

Absolutely. I think we are being bamboozled by the beauty industry.

There is a lot of false promises.

The biggest-selling hair product of them all is shampoo.

In fact, we Brits spend £395 million a year on it.

Is there a difference between the cheapest supermarket brand

and a named brand?

There is a huge range - from £1.50 to £50.

Once you get to the really, really high-end,

you are just paying for the name and the label

and the advertising that goes with it,

but also the perfumes.

I would say a middle of the range is probably best.

There's plenty of really great high-street shampoos

that we use here as well.

So, buy a good, basic shampoo

rather than something with bells, whistles and additional costs.

You generally get deals in supermarkets

and high-street shops, but also the Afro-Caribbean hair shops

tend to sell them in the litre bottles.

-So buying in bulk and buying mid-range.

-Mid-range, yes.

Hair washed, time to get it dry.

Now, I have always presumed heat-protecting spray

would minimise the damage to my hair

when I am drying and straightening it.

Well, see, there we have a myth.

There is nothing really that can protect your hair from heat.

What has become really popular is hair straighteners and tongs.

So that is one of the biggest mistakes people make -

using heat-protector spray for tongs, cos, essentially,

you are just frying your hair.

It, in fact, does the opposite of the job it says it does.

A definite no-no.

So, not using heat protection will save me

a decent amount of money,

but do I need to spend big on hairspray?

So I am using a high-street classic hairspray.

Just a high-street brand is fine?

Yet, absolutely.

You need to look out for products that overpromise,

celebrity endorsements, anything that is really fancy,

because if your hair is not in good condition,

there is nothing that you can really put on it

that is going to solve that.

So what is your top tip for not wasting money on styling products?

I suggest just keep it simple.

-So be really careful, watch out for the hype.

-Exactly.

-Don't break the bank.

-Exactly.

Here's some tips from our team of specialists

to make your shoes last longer.

I am Tim. I am a fourth-generation shoemaker

and I have been making shoes for the last 30 years.

When you first buy leather-soled shoes,

they are often quite slippery, even dangerous,

particularly when they are high-heeled ladies' shoes

and you are already a little less stable

than you would be on a flat shoe.

I tend to use a Stanley knife

and just score the leather crossways,

just to give it a bit more grip.

I'm Martin. I've been repairing shoes since I was 17.

An effective way to restore old and tired suede

would be to use a hairdryer on a really hot setting,

two or three minutes, which can soften the fibres

and make it look fresh and new.

HE SWITCHES HAIRDRYER ON

Another use for a hairdryer - if you've got a pair of shoes

at home that are too stiff and pinch,

a few seconds with a warm hairdryer will soften the leather,

making it much more comfortable to wear.

HE SWITCHES HAIRDRYER ON

In the winter months, when it's cold and wet outside,

you often get salt stains on your shoes.

It's not the salt from the street,

it's actually the salts in the letter

used in the tanning process migrating to the surface.

The best way to deal with this is to use a dilute solution

of white vinegar and water and to rub that on the salt mark.

The acid in the white vinegar

combats the alkaline in the tanning salts and will take it off.

I'm Glyn, kit manager for Leeds Rhinos.

One of the hazards of the job, obviously, smelly boots.

One cheap, effective way to get rid of these odours is old, dry teabags.

Simply place them in the boots, leave them overnight,

it'll get rid of all the moisture and all the bad odours

so they'll smell fresh as a daisy in the morning.

Here at the English National Opera,

we're turning to the expert props department, who bring these

magnificent productions to life, to help with our final product test.

BOTH: Here's a pretty howdy dooooo!

FAST STRING SECTION

Every year, at their workshop in east London,

the team make more than 400 props...

..using 320 litres of paint, half a kilometre of fibreglass

and 20,000 wood screws.

ELECTRIC DRILL

And with all this construction experience,

who better to put these things to the test?

SWITCHES DRILL ON

We're talking cordless drill drivers that can screw,

drill and bore holes.

For manager Paul Jones, they're an indispensable DIY tool.

Hi, Paul. And what are you making? It looks like a giant hamster wheel.

-It is a giant hamster wheel.

-It is?

-But for a normal person, not a giant hamster.

-OK.

How important is a drill in what you do?

Drills are essential.

It's probably the tool that we use the most day in, day out.

So, as the expert, will you help me test out three drills?

Yeah, let's go and build something.

It's not unusual for a drill driver to set you back more than £150.

But I want to test whether you can get away

with spending half that amount.

So Paul and fellow props makers Will and Philippa

have knocked up a little garden scene.

But it's missing some picnic tables.

You all have a drill. ALL START THEIR DRILLS

You've all got a bench to build.

You may begin.

Building the bench will be a solid 30-minute job for our experts.

Enough to see how well the batteries cope.

-So, what are you looking for in a drill?

-Reliability, really.

Some power, something that's not going to go flat after five minutes.

Paul's testing our most expensive drill, the £75 JCB.

So, Paul, you've done a few areas of the bench.

How does the drill feel so far?

It's managing to do everything it needs to do at this stage.

So, how has it done on the drilling so far?

It's been really good so far. I'm quite happy with it.

It still feels like it's got loads of oomph still left in it, so...

Philippa is testing the slightly cheaper Bosch. It costs just £64

and has one slightly unusual characteristic.

The one thing I noticed was that the light

is on the bottom of the pack here, which I've never seen before.

Usually on a drill, the light's here,

so if you're going round a corner, you won't necessarily get

-the light, which for our industry on stage...

-Is vital.

..if you're working in pitch-black, can be tricky.

You know, it looks nice, it feels nice, it's a good weight.

Will is putting our cheapest drill through its paces.

It's from Worx and costs £50.

It's cheap, but there is

an obvious downside.

How long does it take to charge up?

Three and a half hours to recharge.

-That's a really long time, that.

-It is, especially because you only

have one battery with this one, there isn't a spare.

All three drills make light work of the bench build,

so time to raise the stakes with a tougher test.

We're going to drill a hole through the umbrella,

so we swap this over to a larger bit.

Oh.

HE STARTS DRILL

Ah...

Has it died? Has it...?

Carry on? Yeah?

Come on, come on!

Just hanging in there!

Wahey!

Just! Oh, my goodness.

Close but the battery just managed to bore the difficult umbrella hole.

And the JCB has a Plan B.

It comes with two batteries, so that's pretty good as well.

So, you can be using one, charging one,

-so you can never be out of juice?

-Absolutely.

There's something like a 30-minute charge time, so that's quite good.

How will the Bosch cope with the tricky hole?

-Done!

-Yep.

So, that's the Bosch.

Some good work.

Finally, has the Worx got enough juice to finish the job?

SHE BLOWS

-Done.

-Only just.

So, they all finish the benches without recharging,

proving for this size of DIY job,

you can get away with buying a drill for less than £75.

But which drills stood out to our experts as the best one to buy?

What would you spend your cash on?

Paul...

I'd probably go with the Bosch.

-Bosch?

-Definitely the Bosch.

Yes, I'd go with the Bosch.

Why did you pick the Bosch?

I think it's a good all-rounder.

It's not too heavy.

It's got good power, it lasted the way through and by the end of it,

it still had its three bars of power, which was really good.

It's a close run thing, but it was the only one that could have

carried on working without recharging or swapping batteries.

It's our experts' choice.

We do have a majority winner - the Bosch.

In response, JCB reiterate the ability to switch between

its two batteries, which it says charge faster

than the other drills.

Bosch says their light is at the bottom of the drill

so that a larger area is illuminated and less shadows are created.

Well, I think we've done a great day's work.

I think we should celebrate with a sandwich.

It's not real, is it?

That's it from the Coliseum.

Next week, we're in Edinburgh to visit the city's grandest hotel,

where their Michelin-starred chef will tell us

how much he thinks we should be spending on a food processor.

It's chopped a few, hasn't it?

There is some...quite a lot of bits.

I work up a sweat in the name of consumer journalism,

testing out the latest e-readers.

And we'll have more money-saving short cuts from our specialists.

A cheap and cheerful way of cleaning your tile grouting

is with some cola.

It works so well because it's acidic and it cuts through the grime.

And scrub at the grouting...

..and it should come up like new.

MUSIC: I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock Of Seagulls

# I just ran, I ran all night and day

# And I ran, I ran so far away

# I just ran, I couldn't get away. #